Giggling George basking in the radiant glow of his mother's love: An utterly captivating new Royal christening portrait... released by VERY proud parents
- Image was the last one taken after the christening had finished
- Kate cradled George to her face and he let out a giggle
- Jason Bell captured the image in the Morning Room of Clarence House
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Those present expressed relief – and surprise – he remained serene. It was too much to dare to hope the future king would bless them with a smile.
But when the christening was over, when the group photographs were done, his mother cradled him inches from her adoring face for his official portrait and it was then that three-month-old George, saving the best until last, returned her gaze with a beam, then a little burst of giggles.
Adorable: Prince George beams at Kate as their eyes meet, and William looks on proudly
Unity: For the first time in more than 100 years four generations of the Royal Family gathered for the christening
Family: Celebrity photographer Jason Bell was called upon to capture these stunning images from Prince George's christening
Completing the charming image, a quietly composed Prince William looked down proudly upon his son’s smiling face.
In the picture, taken in the Morning Room of Clarence House, William leans against Kate, unsmiling but protective, forcing the eye to focus first on the joyous expressions of his wife and child.
By far the most intimate of the christening portraits, it also exemplifies the bond between mother and child in a way that is rare for official Royal photographs, which can often seem stilted.
Heir: The Queen posed with three generations of male heirs in the Morning Room of Clarence House
It is in marked contrast, for instance, to a picture taken the same day of the Windsor and Middleton dynasties grouped around a Chippendale sofa.
For Kate, her son’s exemplary behaviour at his baptism on Wednesday was an unexpected joy.
Speaking at a Kensington Palace State Apartments reception and dinner on Friday night, she told a guest: ‘He’s not always like that but I think he enjoys all the different people and I think there was lots of action going on. He gets slightly distracted.
‘He was such a good boy – actually we’re very lucky.’
The relaxed tone for the christening was set from the off when, as he carried George into the chapel at St James’s Palace, William quipped: ‘Perfect timing. He’s just gone quiet.’ And so he remained.
There was the tiniest suggestion of a regal wave at one point and later a frown, but for the most part George appeared surprisingly peaceful. This was the baby whose father had warned has a ‘voice to match any lion’s roar’.
It made life easier for 44-year-old celebrity photographer Jason Bell. Normally Bell doesn’t have to worry about eliciting a smile from his subjects – he has previously worked with Scarlett Johansson, Kate Winslet and David Beckham.
But with George, his most high-profile commission to date, he had his work cut out.
Until, that is, the Duchess of Cambridge stepped in with her own winning smile.
For the first time in more than 100 years, four generations of the Royal Family were gathered for the christening. And Bell captured the Queen with her three male heirs, posing formally.
It echoes an 1894 image from the future Edward VIII’s christening, showing him with his father, grandfather and great-grandmother – George V, Edward VII and Queen Victoria.
Calm: The Prince behaved throughout his christening and was described as an 'amazing gift' by the Archbishop of Canterbury
Low-key: The christening, at the Chapel Royal in St James's Palace on Wednesday, was attended by just five senior Royals: the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry
Earlier the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby told the parents and godparents that they had a ‘simple task’ – to ‘make sure he knows who this Jesus is’.
The Duchess carried her newly christened son out of the chapel after the ceremony, and the guests then left for tea hosted by the Prince of Wales at Clarence House.
Attending a reception at Buckingham Palace after the event, the Queen told guests how much she had enjoyed the ceremony.
‘It was very nice though, wasn’t it?’ she told the Bishop of London, the Right Reverend Richard Chartres.
The Duke and Duchess surprised many by choosing seven godparents for Prince George, with Zara Tindall, Princess Anne’s daughter, the only Royal among them.
Auntie: Supporting her sister during the ceremony was Pippa Middleton, pictured leaving Kensington Palace after the celebrations ended
Keepsake: However her £7,000 gift for George, a solid silver copy of his hands and feet, has raised eyebrows
By tradition, members of the Royal Family have six godparents, but the couple opted for one more so that they could accommodate a broad mix of aristocrats, family, and school and university friends.
The Duke, whose late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, is never far from his thoughts, also included one of her close friends, Julia Samuel.
The godparents were among just 22 guests at the ceremony.
Meanwhile yesterday, speaking ahead of a dinner to mark the Football Association’s 150th anniversary, Prince William said he will be taking Prince George to see his favourite team, Aston Villa.
‘When Villa thrash Manchester United at Villa Park, my son will be there!’ he said.
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